Grocery sales up 5.2% as shoppers celebrated Mother's Day and St Patrick's weekend

Take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 5.2% in the four weeks to 22 March compared with the same period last year, data from Worldpanel by Numerator shows. While the frequency with which Irish consumers shopped declined 2.6% year-on-year, the volume of their purchases rose by 1.3% packs per trip as they stocked up ahead of St Patrick's Day and Mother's Day. Trip frequency over the 12 weeks rose by 1.1%, but the volume of packs sold continued to decrease (-2.7%), a downward trend observed every month since June 2025. “As the conflict in the Middle East continues to influence global fuel prices, attention is increasingly turning to how these pressures will affect household budgets," said Emer Healy, business development director at Worldpanel by Numerator. “Grocery inflation remains high, and shoppers may now face additional price increases in the months ahead. "Historically, during periods of rapid inflation, shoppers have adapted by making practical changes, such as opting for lower priced alternatives, buying slightly less or seeking out promotions, and we can expect to see shoppers making these changes in the months ahead.” With sales on promotion down 16% year on year, shoppers have fewer opportunities to manage costs through deals, contributing to smaller basket sizes overall. “Our latest Pressure Group analysis reveals that 26% of Irish shoppers now describe themselves as financially struggling," said Healy. “Understanding how shoppers respond to growing economic pressure will be crucial for Ireland’s retailers over the coming months. "While the situation is fast evolving, causing uncertainty for retailers and consumers alike, we’re monitoring the data closely to identify emerging shopper behaviours and provide clear guidance as the situation evolves.” The value share of own label product increased over the past 12 weeks to 46.5%, up nearly two percentage points from the previous month and €76m from a year prior. Premium own label continues to perform strongly, with spending up nearly 12% year-on=year, as shoppers continue to look for ways to indulge during the course of the festivities over March. Brands similarly continued to grow in both value (+4.3%) and volume terms, albeit at a slower pace than own label. More than 12% of Irish households bought hot cross buns during March, spending an additional €498,000 on the festive treats year-on-year. Additionally, nearly half of Irish household’s also picked up an Easter egg in the run-up to the bank holiday weekend. Unit sales were up 45% from a year ago, and nearly half of Irish households bought Easter eggs during the month, an increase of 11 percentage points. Celebrations extended beyond Easter, with Mother's Day driving an additional €2.3m in boxed chocolate sales compared with last year. Combined spending on frozen desserts, ice cream, savoury snacks and alcohol rose by an additional €10.7m year-on-year, as shoppers sought to mark the occasion at home. By market share, Dunnes Stores maintained a 24.3% value share in the latest 12 weeks, up 4.9% in value growth. New shoppers contributed €11.5m to their overall performance. Tesco posted strong growth this period, with value sales up by 7.3% and value share reaching 23.6%. The recruitment of new shoppers contributed growth of €38m to value sales.  SuperValu’s value share stood at 19.3%, which is up 0.2% in value growth versus last year, with increased packs per trip and new shoppers combining to contribute almost €15m in value growth. Aldi’s holds an 11.1% share up 0.3% in value growth versus last year, with an increase in footfall adding €12.3m in value sales over the period. Dunnes Stores remains the market leader. Lidl grew its market share to 14.3% up from 13.6% in the previous period, an increase of 0.7 percentage points. The retailer posted double-digit growth for the fourth consecutive period, with value growth of 11.7%. Lidl’s growth is driven by an influx of new shoppers to store alongside existing shoppers picking up more volume per trip, this contributed a combined €27.9m to their overall performance. (Pic: Getty Images)

View Original Article